EFFICIENT REANALYSIS FOR TOPOLOGICAL OPTIMIZATION

An efficient reanalysis method for the topological optimization of structures is presented. The method is based on combining the computed terms of a series expansion, used as high quality basis vectors, and coefficients of a reduced basis expression. The advantage is that the efficiency of local approximations and the improved quality of global approximations are combined to obtain an effective solution procedure. The method is based on results of a single exact analysis and can be used with a general finite element system. It is suitable for different types of structures, such as trusses, frames, grillages, etc. Calculations of derivatives is not required, and the errors involved in the approximations can readily be evaluated. Several numerical examples illustrate the effectiveness of the solution procedure. It is shown that excellent results can be achieved with small computational effort for very large changes in the cross-sections and in the topology of the structure.